


I Know Better

by SpreadWings (emoRAVEkitten27)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, F/M, Multi, My First Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-06-27 16:04:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15688776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emoRAVEkitten27/pseuds/SpreadWings
Summary: The 2p's tend to get bored since their more popular counterparts never bring them anywhere. Luckily, there's a certain little blonde that likes staying home.





	1. Rainy Days

**Author's Note:**

> Human names are used for the most part. 2p!Canada is referred to as James instead of Matthieu.  
> Regarding lore: Each country has many different versions of itself, and this depends on what kind of people are in said country and how the country is viewed. The most popular versions acting as mascots while the less acceptable ones are largely ignored.

A loud ring of a doorbell brought James out of his pot induced slumber, earning a grumble and half-finished threat to no one followed by the heavy thuds of his boots.

"The fuck do you wa-"

The tall blond punk stopped mid-sentence as he opened the door to see his brother, drenched in rain, holding an ungodly amount of groceries alongside Madeline, who was also soaked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bug you." Madeline said shyly, looking down as if she were a child in trouble, "My hands were just really full and I couldn't grab my key. But Allen offered to help me with the groceries."

"Uh, you're fine but, why's he here?"

Suddenly the dark-haired american shoved past, "You stupid AND deaf now? She just fuckin' said I'm helpin' out. Unlike you, fuckin' stoner." With a cocky smile, he began walking towards the kitchen.

But before the flannel-clad punk had time to give chase, he felt a slight bump from his counterpart's head.

"I'm sorry for bringing him here, I should've known you two would hate it."

The 6'3 outdoorsman struggled with a twinge of guilt as he saw her face, he could've sworn she was about to cry.

"Well, you're right. We hate each other. But I guess you didn't have that much of a choice. He didn't try anything on you, did he?"

The way her blonde locks bounced when she shook her head was all he needed. He closed the front door before locking it and taking the bags from her arms.

"Thank you. Um, he was wondering if he could stay for lunch. I was gonna practice the shepherd's pie recipe that Elizabeth gave me last week."

"Mads, he needs to go the fuck home."

"I think that's the dame's decision." Allen interrupted as the pair enter the kitchen, "Since it's her cooking and all. Besides, it's her house too."

Thinking quickly, Madeline interjected before hell broke loose, "I think it could be fun but only if you can be civil."

"Babe, for you, I could damn well try." the american responded as he leaned against the counter.

"Like fucking hell. Mads, he doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"Please?" Madeline's voice was noticeably quieter now. Allen saw his opening.

"I swear, I'll behave as long as he does."

The gruff canadian cursed his brother's stupid blame tactics in his head before uttering out a disgruntled, "Fine."

"Perfect. Now, lemme show you the best way to cook up tofu."

The tanned american dug carefully through the variety of brown bags, grabbing a vast array of ingredients as he ordered his hostess to prepare a couple of bowls and retrieve her coveted recipe book. James knew his games and decided to take a seat on an empty space of counter to keep a close watch on the player, rolling his eyes at how obedient Madeline was. He made a bet with himself that at some point withing the next five minutes she'd be asked to bend over for some obscure utensil just so the perv could fuck her with his eyes, if he wasn't already.

Although, James knew himself to be far from perfect. Especially when she let Francine play dress-up with her, or the times when she wore her tank top and even though she was used to the cold, he would wrap her in his flannel. Partly due to chilly weather and partly due to pervs like himself. Or his brother.


	2. Delectable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up! There's a fight scene and some sex mentions.

Madeline had been having so much fun learning vegetarian recipes that she never even noticed that her stoic protector had fallen back asleep, luckily he was leaned up against a cupboard so he could stay balanced.

"Woah, doll. Careful with the gravy. God, now you've done it."

Allen quickly grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her hand up to his face, smirking at her surprised little squeak.

"When I said to pour it, I didn't mean on yourself. Lemme help you clean up." with a wry smile, Allen gently licked up her wrist to one of her fingertips before wondering why he hadn't been punched yet. Upon looking at the only other figure in the room, he stifled a laugh, "Only that pothead could sleep in a kitchen."

Madeline, after shaking off her initial shock but not her blush, observed her sleeping housemate, "He always preferred indicas. Anyways, I could've gotten a towel."

"Aw, doll. C'mon, and waste all that gravy you worked so hard to make? Besides, I had to make sure it tastes as good as mine, since I'm the one teaching you.", Allen dropped his worries and let a taste of his true self shine through, "Anywhere else I should clean or do you really wanna waste it? I mean, from the little I tasted, it really would be such a waste to put it in a towel instead of a mouth.."

"Uh-Uhm, I think the stove's ready for the pies. The recipe said 15 minutes right?"

"Said 30, babydoll. But go for 20. I've picked up quite a bit from that old cream puff."

"Y-you mean Mister Oliver?"

"Damn babe, so respectful. But yeah, that guy."

Allen leaned comfortably against the wall and he watched the flood of blood leave the shy girl's face.

"So, um, do you lick people often?" Madeline mentally kicked herself for asking that.

"Somewhat. That's probably why your boyfriend there hates me so much."

"Well, um, he's not my boyfriend. I mean, like, I don't think he likes me like that. Especially not after today. He really doesn't seem to like you but I invited you anyways and he already handles everything else for me and I should ask him first and-"

"Darlin', you talk way too fuckin' much. If I may say so, it sounds like you either need to just fuck him or say fuck him. Honestly, when's the last time you got laid?", Allen watched that deep blush return before she looked down at her feet, "Aww, doll. It's been months, hasn't it?"

"No! I, uh, had s-sex last week."

"Oh yeah? With who?"

Madeline struggled to think under the pressure of Allen's shit-eating smile before blurting out, "Kyle! Yeah, I met him at a club."

"Yeah, right. What'd he look like?"

"Blond, green eyes, taller than you."

"Mhm, and his dick?"

"What?!"

"You said you got laid, so how was his dick? Describe it."

"I, uhm, didn't see it." Madeline wished that she hadn't tried to lie her way out of this.

"Alright. so,  You're probably gonna say he was great in bed but you never A. went down on him, or B. fucking looked down. That right, sweetheart? Look, babe, nothing wrong with needing a good fuck but don't lie so badly about it." Allen cracked his knuckles and checked the oven before looking over at the girl with a smile, "I'm willing to make you an offer that'll give you free masturbation material for at least a week. You got some gravy on your knee, I'll lick it off as soon as you say please. You could say no but we don't have too much time before the pies are ready; not to mention how soon Mr. Munchies over there will come to. So, what d'ya say, doll? Wanna get cleaned up?"

Madeline couldn't fight back the heat rising to her face as Allen gently traced her waist, she instinctively looked over at James.

"Well, darlin'? Answer fast and I'll give you a nice little kiss too. I'm sure it's been a while for that." Allen's breath now flowed hotly against her neck, he could feel her weight shift as she leaned back against the counter tensely, "Baby, relax, its not gonna go far, just enough for you to imagine some nice little scenarios for the next time you're all alone in that bed of yours. But you gotta ask nicely like a good girl."

"P-please?" the short blonde whispered.

"What was that, babydoll?"

"Please."

"Gladly, sweetheart."

Allen dropped to his knees with his trademark grin and gently guided her leg closer, his tongue softening his lips before they made contact with her inner knee. His fingers slowly teased up her thigh, getting dangerously close to the hem of her oversized sweater. She let out a quiet gasp as his tongue made quick work of the food on her skin and a deep blush invaded her face when he went beyond her knee with alternating kisses and licks. He smiled cruelly up at her before biting her inner thigh, sucking hard and enjoying the shock on her sweet features. After a few seconds of her whispering pleas for freedom, he pulled away and stood up just to set her up on the counter with her knees on either side of him.

"W-wai-Mmf"

Her voice disappeared under the sounds of hot breathing and the gentle smacking of lips. He weaved his hands through her hair and gave a nice little tug, causing her to open her mouth enough for him to invade. He tried very hard to savor each second before that accursed timer split them with the promise of food and the threat of protection. The two finally separated, leaving Madeline a panting mess and Allen with a triumphant smirk.

"Doll, you're not half bad in the kissin' department, I'm actually tempted to give you my number so I can do a better job. But, you might wanna change first. Wouldn't want Sleepyhead to see that wicked hickey on your thigh. Unless you're just that kinky.", Allen winked before kissing her heated throat and turning his attention to the stove.

"I'll, uh, be right back." the blonde lass quietly reassured as she scurried out of the kitchen and to her room for a change of clothes.

The canadian beauty couldn't even count how many thoughts were racing through her little blonde head. How could she let that happen? And why hadn't her heart calmed down yet? Allen's an asshole, at least by James' standards. But, god, even with that chipped tooth she knew his smile meant business. Wait, why did she even care about his smile? No, he's just a player. A good player, but a player all the same. Ok, a really sexy player. A player that figured out she'd been craving that sort of thing for a while and left a hickey on her and pulled her hair. That proves he's a dick. God, his dick was probably incredible. Wait, wait no, that didn't just happen. Fuck.

Her heart kept racing as she changed into her leggings, looking over at the door more often than she would ever want to admit. What was she even looking for? It's not like she actually wanted him to follow, right. Yeah, obviously she's just checking to make sure he didn't follow so he could do a "better job", whatever he meant by that. Yeah. Definitely. Anyways, she had to pick a shirt or dress or something. James would definitely notice if leggings magically appeared. She'd just say she spilled stuff on her clothes and had to change it all. That wasn't a total lie, right? Oh god, James. He despises his brother and she just kissed him. Shit, there's absolutely no way she could ever tell him. Never.

"Hey, Mads."

The sudden voice from her doorway made her jump.

"Oh! J-James! Um, hi. What's up?"

"Alright, what'd he do?" the lad stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, "You should close this door when he's around. Especially if you're not wearing a top."

Madeline looked down in horror to realize she was clad only in leggings and a bra. Utterly mortified, she attempted to cover up with her arms as her face grew so hot she wondered if James could feel it.

"Just put this on, and tell me what he did to you." he ordered as he tossed his flannel at her, covering his eyes for modesty's sake, "I wake up, and you're gone. I find you in here with the door open, your top off, and in leggings. What the fuck happened?"

As Madeline frantically pulled the far too large shirt onto herself, she scrambled for answers.

"Allen's such a klutz. He, um, spilled veggie gravy all over me. and on my favorite sweater, too."

"Goddamnit. I knew he would pull this shit. Lemme guess, he offered to take your clothes off for you. He's just a fucking-"

"No, it was my fault. He was turning around and I just happened to be there. He didn't offer anything bad."

"Fine. But he's on very fucking thin ice. Damn, have you always been that small? That flannel looks like a dress on you."

Madeline relaxed a bit at the knowledge that she convinced him and smiled, "I'm not small. You're just freakishly huge. Let's get downstairs, I'm sure lunch is ready."

The pair made their way down to find Allen already on the couch, chowing down of the fruits of their labor. Giving Madeline a little nod, he smiled confidently.

"Luckily, I don't think it stained. I'm sorry for getting in your way and making you spill on me.", Madeline could only hope the message was received by the lounging diner.

"Oh? well, I can think of a few ways you could make it up to me", a sly wink darting across the american's face made James' blood boil, "Especially in that dress."

"Actually, shithead, that's MY shirt."

Madeline squeaked in surprise as a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her towards the kitchen, roughly guiding her over to her creations.

"Fucking asshat.", James growled as he pulled his housemate close to hide her from that perv's view, so close she could hear his heart beating in his toned chest, "You're sitting near me. I don't want him pulling any shit with you. Now pick a goddamn pie and we'll eat. Actually, no. You're getting this one."

The tall, well-muscled blond pushed the slightly larger pie into his charge's hands before snagging the remaining one as he led them both to the love seat in the living room. Urging her to sit, he kept a close eye on his brother.

With a broad smirk, Allen inquired, "So, how long have you two been fucking?"

 "It's not like that!" Madeline couldn't keep herself from blurting out, "We're j-just friends."

"Bullshit. You're wearing his shirt, he's super fucking possessive and making you sit with him. You two obviously have something going on."

"Shut the fuck up, Al. You know you're only fucking asking so you can be a fucking thief. There's nothing to steal here so back the fuck off."

"Jeez, touchy.", Allen gave a condescending little shrug, "And, it's not MY fault that you date flakes. If anything, it's your fault for not satisfying them."

James lunged from his seat, made it halfway to a poised Allen before Madeline closed the gap between them. With a hand pushing against either chest, she frantically tried to calm the two down.

"Stop! Please just stop! You two are acting like children and I honestly don't want to clean up your mess."

Allen just couldn't keep his mouth shut, it was just too tempting to hurt Matthieu. "You know I went down on her, right? In the kitchen when you were sleeping like the lazy shit you are."

James happily used his rather large wingspan to his advantage, it was easy to land a solid blow from around Madeline, much to her horror. Allen didn't react in time to block but dodged well enough to avoid a knockout.

Curses and screams erupted from the two and Madeline felt her heart skip beats and jump with every word. Tears sprung to her eyes as she tried to leave as inconspicuously as possible, running up the stairs to her room and slamming the door behind her. With hiccups and sobs, she wrapped herself in a blanket and curled into a ball on her bed, finding bittersweet comfort in the scent of her crush's flannel. She covered her ears to protect against the carnage downstairs. Focusing on her breath, she poorly attempted to hold in her cries. After a few seconds, she heard the front door slam shut with more curses being screamed. The walls seemed to shake as James' voice rang out, muffling the dull thuds of his fist hitting the wall. With each beat, her heart sunk, guilt clinging to her mind with vice-like grip. Tears tore down her cheeks with messy, reckless abandon.


	3. Fragility

James clenched his jaw hard as he examined his bloody knuckles. His face was red and his heart pounded in his chest. He counted his blessing that Madeline left. Wondering to himself if he should feel bad yet, he dug his lighter out of his deep pockets, bringing the joint he hid behind his ear to his lips. Luckily, Allen could only get a punch to his chest. It was sore but nothing compared to the scars from Kuma's first encounter. A deep, earthy scent filled the air as the hot-headed punk breathed a cloud of smoke into the entryway, attempting to quell the seething anger that kept his muscles rigid and his ears pounding.

The couch had tipped backwards, there was a bloodied hole in the wall, food speckled the floor, and finally he looked to the door with a small crack in its frame. Madeline's words echoed in his mind and he rolled his neck, eliciting loud cracks and pops. She wouldn't be able to fix the wall or the door anyways. He set to picking up the now tainted pies after he tipped the couch onto its feet. He silently cursed Madeline for letting that asshole into his home, for not paying more attention. He cursed himself, he shouldn't have fallen asleep, he should've been more stubborn with her.

"Fucking shithead." James grumbled as he threw the mess of a lunch into the chrome garbage can. He wondered if what Allen said was true. No, it couldn't be. Madeline was far too innocent for something like that. Too cute, too pure for that. He couldn't help but imagine the way she'd blush, wondered if she was the type of girl who'd bite her lip. Would she be able to keep quiet? Or would she have to cover her mouth? Maybe she had more of a breathy moan that sounded like an angel's whisper. Or maybe she had a nice, full moan. One that she'd need to shove her face into her pillow to cover up. He tried not to think about walking into her room, her shirt off, in those devilishly sexy leggings. He already struggled enough to keep from pouncing on her in his flannel. But, there was no way she'd want that. Not the way he does things. But that wouldn't keep away the image of her hair wrapped around his fist, her neck bruised and bitten, her skin nice and pink from how much she'd blush. She'd probably be embarrassed, try to hide her face, he'd just have to hold her hands above her head. He would not be denied that beautiful, angelic sinner's face.

A loud cough from upstairs brought the man out of his fantasies. She must've been crying really hard. James felt guilty for letting a fight like that happen with her around, and for wasting his time getting a hard-on instead of helping her calm down. He decided he'd wait before checking up on her. After something like that, she'd probably be scared of him. Especially if he walked in with the bulge in his pants, she'd think him to be a sadist or crazy. But he was no sadist, he just liked being in control. A reasonable desire, given the family he'd come from. He started to recite the alphabet out of order, distracting his mind from his more carnal needs.

After a few minutes, he began trudging up the stairs, towards Madeline's room. He noted her closed door, a sign that she somewhat took his advice, before carefully cracking it open. The air was warm and heavy in this sweet space, crying was almost like exercising for her. The way she'd pant and tense, he recognized it from his own past. A way to minimize sound, to avoid attention.

"Mads, he's gone. I'll fix the wall tomorrow. If you need me for anything, I'll be in my room."

The bundle on the small, pink bed didn't move but he knew she heard him. He backed out of her room and started down the hall to his own. He casually strolled through his darkened wood doorway, looking at his poster-clad walls. Some papers advertised the death of poachers, others for the services of escorts. He had a few from charities that Madeline volunteered with to help her cause. Unceremoniously, he toppled onto his bed, reaching for the first aid kit he kept hidden in his night stand next to a few condoms and a book Francios gave him. While he didn't particularly care for the old man, he found the book to be a good read. A quiet curse slipped through his lips as he bandaged his hand, simply letting his muscle memory guide him at this point. Upon completion, he reached for his guilty pleasure. He never thought he'd like reading some book about psychology but this one intrigued him. It discussed the psychology of body language, with his favorite chapters discussing things like submissive gestures and sexual interest. It had long passed being helpful to him, but it gave him things to think about every now and again. Inspiration on how to have some fun in very interesting situations.

About an hour later, a quiet knock on his door tore his interest from the book. He knew it was Madeline but he wasn't sure if it was her shy nature or fear that fueled her hand against the wood. Hiding his book back into his nightstand, he kicked his past clothes into a neater pile in the corner of the room. The idea to put a shirt on crossed his mind but his hand was already twisting the doorknob, it wasn't like he was all that shy about his scars anyways.

"Yeah?" James pulled the door open wide, his eyes falling on the short girl he lived with. He always found it so adorable that her head only came up to just below his chin.

"I'm sorry." Madeline could only sniffle out. Her fingers absently fiddled with the buttons of his flannel, her eyes locked onto the ground as her weight shifted uncomfortably between her feet, "I didn't mean for any of that to happen and I didn't know he would say that and now your hands hurt and it's all my fault-"

Without a word, James lifted the girl off her feet, gently placing her in his untidy bed. She always did this. She'd sit there and mumble and make herself cry over nothing. Not this time.

"Shut up. Trusting him was stupid, yeah, but he's an asshole. Nothing you could've said or done would've kept him from being a fucking asshole. I would've punched him eventually anyways. Probably at the next meeting. So shut up and just chill out. I'm not pissed at you. Got it?" Of course, he knew she would still blame herself and give herself bullshit about this. She'd always been more of a physical learner, so he figured the best way to get her to understand the big picture would be to show her.

He lay next to her, pulling her small form close as he reached back for his book. Gently running his fingers through her long blonde curls was somewhat soothing as he dove back into his old book. He felt her hesitate before hugging onto his side with a sniffle.

"You're gonna stay there 'til you can be nice to yourself. There's only room for one mean son-of-a-bitch in this house and I'm not giving my job to you." He let a smirk tug at his mouth as he sank into her embrace, focusing on the printed words before him. He absolutely loved the quiet, gentle times like this, and wished it was easier for him to be gentle. Even though she managed to bring out his best, he still struggled to have the tact necessary for people. Animals were so much easier than people, you didn't have to worry about saying the right thing. He wondered if Madeline felt the same way. Had her constant apprehension been caused by being unable to understand the complexities of people? ,"This book is pretty alright, if you'd like to read it."

"But it's yours. It's your favourite."

"Eh? No, it's not."

"Then why do you read it so much? What's it even about?"

He closed the novel, keeping his finger between the pages he was reading, and lowered it to show her the back cover, "Body language and reading people. That's how I got so good at it. I just don't feel like wasting my time reading idiots. My old man loaned it to me years ago and I guess I stole it."

"Wouldn't he want it back?"

"It's not like he gives a shit anyways," James shrugged, "Not sure he ever did."

Madeline carefully grabbed the well-read book, looking at the cracked spine and many dog-eared pages, and read an excerpt from the page James had read only a few minutes before, "-A lowered chin indicates submission, while leaning into a conversation portrays interest. Watch the subject's feet, as they tend to point towards the person of interest. Crossed arms convey an emotional barrier between the subject and their interest-" Madeline wondered if she had ever been studied by the stoic man. Had he known of her affection? Had she acted like this to Allen?

"I do expect it back if you borrow it. I'm not like that geezer. Understand?"

Suddenly jolted out of her thoughts, the girl blurted out a "Yes, Sir!". An old habit from meetings with the boss.

"Uh, Sir?" James failed to withhold a chuckle, much to the sweet girl's embarrassment, "I'm not laughing at you, Mads. It's just funny because the only time a girl calls me Sir is in the bedroom." James suddenly became painfully aware of the pair's positions on his bed, in his bedroom. "Well, not like now. I mean like, in bed. Shit, not like this. Like, y'know, um, sex."

Madeline had never seen him get flustered like this, she couldn't help but giggle, "I never knew you could blush, Jamesy."

That adorable giggle, the pet name, the boy thought about hiding behind his overgrown bangs to cover the red on his face, "Shut it. You blush more, brat."

"Aw, I'm sorry James. Its just cute. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, well, you're supposed to be the cute one. I'm the dick with a mean-ass mug." It wasn't until he had already said it, that James realized he had called his friend cute. Although he had meant it, she was far more that just cute. Not that he'd ever really get the guts to tell her the truth. Hopefully she'd just ignore him.

"I'm not all that cute, not like Francine."

"You're not like her. She's sexy, you're cute. Big difference." He was afraid of accidentally exposing his crush but this bugged him so much more. How could she say something so completely wrong?

"Hm? How is it different?" 

"Well, it's like the difference between a poodle and a collie. Same animal, very different. I mean, yeah, she's hot but, honestly she's not my type. Y'know?"

"Not really, you come home with girls like her all the time. Super pretty and confident." Madeline couldn't seem to smile as she thought of the few times she'd seen James sneaking to his room. Not like it would've helped anyways, they were always a little loud. It would bruise her confidence that it wasn't her in there, screaming for him.

"Confidence is always better, but those girls know they're not getting anything more than a good time. We aren't each others' type. Doesn't mean it's not fun but it's just that."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense? I dunno, I don't really think I'm anyone's type. Well, maybe." She hesitated, thinking it wise to not finish her thought. But she seemed to have caught her housemate's attention as he gently urged her to continue, "I mean, Al seemed to like me."

"Fuck no. He doesn't do "like". He does "Fuck James' girlfriend to steal her away, get bored, move onto the next girl". He's a fucking asshole and honestly, why the fuck are you even thinking about him like that?"

"I'm not. I was just saying that he seemed to be attracted to me. It's not like I'd go steady with him.", she tried to think of a way to steer the conversation away from the inevitable, but it was too late.

"I need the fucking truth, Mads. Did you let him go down on you? Was he lying?"

"No! No oral sex happened! I swear."

"Then what happened?" James knew what the specifics meant. Something happened, even if it wasn't sex, and he was going to find out what.

"Nothing!" Madeline tried to keep a straight face, but to no avail. Her features twisted with the lie and James had had enough of the games. He gently grabbed her hands, taking his book from them, and set them above her head as he climbed to his knees to crouch over her.

"The truth, Madeline. Stop fucking lying to me. What happened between you an my brother?" James knew he couldn't hurt the girl, but he sure as hell deserved the truth. He'd keep her here for as long as it took. Even so, he couldn't help but feel apologetic when he looked into her fearful, guilt-ridden eyes. She looked down, away from him, and mumble an unintelligible answer, causing the boy to grab her chin and guide her face up to meet his eyes. "Madeline. Stop mumbling, tell me."

"We, well, he licked my leg."

"And? I know Allen. You give him an inch, the fucker takes a mile. I want the whole truth. Now."

"He bit me. And then he kissed me. And he pulled my hair." she felt the figure above her tense. She felt more guilt than anything, he wasn't the type of man who would want to hurt her. Not unless it was absolutely horrible. But then again, he hated his brother. His eyes were shut tighter than usual but his face still managed to look calm.

"Did you like it?" James tried hard to hold in his rage. His hate towards his brother multiplied ten fold. In his own house, In the same room as him, that little shit dared to touch her. To try and claim her.

"I-um, I don't know, i mean-"

"Was it good? Madeline, just be honest." He prepared for the worst. This had all happened countless times in the past and now, she was stolen before she was ever his. He wondered if she'd kick him out.

"A little." The girl looked so ashamed, but he didn't even open his eyes to look, "It hurt."

James had his answers, he let go of her wrists and quickly analyzed them for any sign of his rough hands. Nothing. He wouldn't forgive himself if there was. With a sigh, he sat on the edge of the familiar mattress, debating whether to leave or grab a joint. Maybe he'd tell her to get out. He quickly put that thought to rest though, she seemed hurt enough.

"It's supposed to hurt, Mads. That's the point." James stated flatly, reaching for his stash under the bed, "It feels good when you do it right."

"I know, but, it hurt too much." Madeline brought her arms around herself for comfort, "I liked it until it hurt a lot. I'm such a wimp."

James finally had a grand realization. There was no way Allen wouldn't know what he was doing. But if he thought that Madeline was, in fact, James' girl, he'd be rough like usual. But that would be too rough for her.

"When have you had your hair pulled?"

The question earned a shy blush from the little Madeline, "Amelia would pull my hair when we were little but-"

"But sexually, have you ever had it done properly?"

"Once- well, twice now. It wasn't much of a turn on."

"The first time, how was it pulled?" James turned to watch her demonstration. She coyly weaved her fingers through her golden curls and simulated a gentle tug, "That's wrong. Your fingers are too far away from your scalp. Show me what Al did."

Once again, her fingers glided through her hair. He noted the proper position, a sign that his brother was on the right track but simply too rough. James gave up looking for his stash and returned his full attention to the angel in his bed.

"That's how you're supposed to pull hair."

"But it still hurt-"

"Yeah, because he thought you were used to it and went too rough." a sense of pity pricked the boy's heart, "You said it felt a little good, right?" her eyes utterly refused to meet his as she nodded slowly, "Would you like to see what it's supposed to feel like? It's still gonna hurt, but not nearly as bad."


	4. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gives Madeline a course in Kink 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Hella smut.

"You're sure you want me to do this?" James absolutely couldn't believe his luck. Here he sat, on his bed with a beautiful girl on his lap, her violet eyes seemed to sparkle as she nodded hesitantly, "Don't hesitate like that. I need a firm yes or no. Do you want me to pull your hair?"

"Yes." Madeline's heart raced in her chest. The man she'd been pining for was so close and intimate. His eyes traced over her face as she took a deep breath, studying his lips before finding her way to his stubble-covered cheek and finally to his dark purple orbs, "You'll be gentle?"

"I'm not stupid like Allen, alright? I won't be too rough with a newbie like you. Speaking of, you know what a safe word is, yeah?"

"I think so."

"Since you only "think" so, I'll teach you. Say red whenever it hurts more than you want." with one sudden motion, James pulled. Hard. Madeline let out a small squeak as her features contorted to match the pain in her scalp. He let go after only a few seconds to hold her face steady, staring into her eyes, "Do not put up with that. Yell at me. The word is Red. You are not going to just sit there and take the pain. Understand? As soon as it hurts more than it pleasures, call Red."

Madeline panted gently, the pain was gone but the shock lingered in her eyes. She repeated the word in her head before saying it aloud.

"Yes. As soon as it hurts more than you like, tell me. Don't ever do what you just did. Do not hesitate. You tell me if it hurts. Do you understand, Madeline?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good girl." James hated to hurt her like that, tough love was simultaneously what he hated and loved most in the world. He pulled the lass close, smoothing her hair out and breathing deeply with her ear to his chest, "I'm so sorry for hurting you. Are you alright? Did you want to wait?"

"I'm okay. I just wasn't expecting it." Her body relaxed into his touch as she listened to the steady beat of his heart.

"I know. But do you know why I did that?" He smiled as he felt her nod against his chest.

"I could get really hurt if I don't call Red when I should."

"Yes. I need you to be able to call safe word."

"I will."

"Good girl. Next lesson is on Yellow. If it's getting close to Red territory, you can call Yellow. I'll slow down and go easier but, I won't stop. Understand?"

"Yes. It's like a stoplight."

"Exactly. It's exactly that." his fingers combed through her curls as he searched his mind for more information. He simply couldn't remember any more basic rules, "Would you like to wait more?"

She pulled away from his chest, shaking her head at his question. James found himself fighting the urge to ask to kiss her. He slowly snaked his fingers into her locks, leaning forward to trace his nose up the side of her neck to her ear.

"You ready?" His voice was just above a whisper, the hot breath of his words caressing her skin.

"Mhm." Her face exuded a sort of calm curiosity before her eyes shot close and her lips parted with a quiet sigh, "James.."

"That's not the safe word, Maddie."

"I wasn't calling safe word."

James felt his pride swell with every sigh and breath from the angel he held in his lap. His other hand guided hers to his shoulders, fingertips tracing up towards her pale shoulders and down her beautiful form to her hip. Once again, she gave an intoxicating whisper of a moan as he held her head back to expose her neck to him. The war he was enduring was the sweetest hell he could imagine. The desire to kiss and mark her as his own but the uncertainty of the reaction. He was only supposed to show her what hair-pulling could be. That it could be the quiet whimper for more, the blush invading her cheeks, the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing gets just a little faster. The way her body moves closer to his and her heart beats just a little harder. How he'll accidentally let out a curse when she tugs on her lower lip with her teeth. His forehead came to rest on her shoulder, his hand falling from her hair to her hip.

"Maddie, we gotta stop."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Maddie, that's not it. I just gotta stop before shit happens."

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can do? Can I help?"

God, her fucking lips were a siren's song and he was simply a doomed sailor drowning in her beauty, "Maddie, no. I need you to tell me to fucking stop. I need you to tell me you don't think of kissing me ever. Tell me I'm just a friend."

Madeline heart skipped through so many emotions she couldn't even breathe. His request was left unfulfilled as she pulled his face into a fervent kiss. Her hands shook against his prickly cheeks while his gripped tighter onto her hips to pull her ever closer. A low moan spilled from his lips and her hand swept to his shoulder, the other resting on the back of his neck. He tore himself away from her lips just to have her move them to his neck, eliciting another moan to vibrate against her mouth.

"Fuck, Maddie. Wait, wait, I- Fuck! Goddamn biter, eh?" He gently tugged her face from his throat, enjoying the angel's song as he tugged on her hair, "Maddie, I rarely play nice. You know that, don't you? Fuck, you're so goddamn cute. Look, I'm not really capable of gentle, love-making sex right now. Not after the day I've had. If you don't want rough, we have to stop right fucking now."

"James, I just want you. Please?" The faintest hint of a whimper slipped out of her parted lips, her heart fluttered within her ribs. Could this really be happening? Was this all just an incredible, lust-fueled dream or was she truly sitting in his lap as he unknowingly ground up into her. Was she truly looking into his starving eyes or was this all simply an illusion? She wanted nothing more than to feel the sting of his teeth on her neck, some sort of pain to prove this was real, "Please, James. I need you."

A low groan echoed through the room as the girl was thrown to the bed and within seconds, James' fingers hooked onto her leggings to peel them off her gorgeous legs, "You're keeping that flannel on while I claim you. I swear to God if you try to take it off..." His attention was stolen by the deep bruise stained onto her thigh, "That's his, isn't it? I hope you don't mind if I give you a few marks of my own because, I will be marking you."

Her squeaks and moans were heaven as he played a symphony out of her body. Carefully dragging his nails down her outer thigh and then back up to her hips, grabbing so hard she wondered if she'd bruise under his fingertips. But in this haze of heated desperation, all her fears fled her mind to be replaced with absolute need.

"Kiss me."

He couldn't help but smile as his lips crashed against hers once again, their breath entangling between them. His hands knew this shirt very well, and made quick work of the buttons before they settled onto her soft skin, "Fuck. C'mere, now." He ordered between heavy breaths while his hand pulled her hips up to meet his, "God fucking damnit. You're so fucking warm. I have a condom in the nightstand, grab one."

She wasted no time to begin searching blindly through the half-opened drawer, not noticing that her partner had begun nearly tearing his jeans off as he kissed his way down her exposed chest, taking care to savor the sight of her bra, before reaching her smooth belly. As her fingers finally identified the wrapper of her goal, his teeth pulled at her panties and her attention. 

"Wh-wha-" Barely escaped her throat before being cut of by a loud moan. His tongue was intense against her sex, causing her to blush and squirm as his fingers dug into her hips once more. He pulled away briefly to allowed her to finish her task.

"Y'know? It's completely fucking unfair for you to taste this fucking good. And those fucking moans aren't helping, baby." A devilish smile tugged at his lips as he gave her clit a teasing lick, "You're not allowed to cum while I'm down here. Not even once. If you do, I will punish you."

Madeline battled harshly against the near-electricity jolting through her legs with each new sensation. Her face was red and her back arched, pushing her to his sinful tongue. One of his hands crept up to rub against her breast. Each moan and gasp spurred his mouth to speed and slow, to prolong her torturous pleasure. Her thighs tightened around his head and he could feel her body tense in preparation. He pried her knees apart and took his position above her, taking her nightstand prize to use as his own.

"I'll try to be gentle but I've been waiting a really fucking long time for this," The wrapper had now been discarded as the latex rolled down his shaft, gently squeezing his mass, "Fuck, Maddie. You remember your safe word?"

The beauty nodded, her hair shifting against the pillow. She seemed confused when he guided her up to her hands and knees, "Doggy?"

"Yeah. I haven't seen you with anyone recently. This way, you take it at your pace and it keeps you relaxed." He rubbed her hip as he gently pressed at her entrance, "Go ahead."

Madeline smiled at the strange thoughtful behavior and began to slowly push back onto him, earning a soft moan.

"Fuck." She heard her companion breathe, her pride grew with the knowledge of his pleasure. She pressed back a bit farther before hesitating, "Fuck, you're tight. Ah, that's the thickest part." His fingers stretched against her lower back, gently guiding her forwards and then back, "Just get used to this first, mmmfuck, then ah, when you can go farther, you can."

She set to a soft pace as she felt his cock twitch inside her walls, focusing on the teasing sensation against her g-spot. Her body demanding her to press farther, to rock her hips hard onto his slick member, she finally gave into her cravings with a wanton moan and a gentle curse, "Fuck."

She bit her lip, letting her hips move at a steady beat, and squeaked in surprise when she felt the impact of a palm on her bum. It wasn't very hard, just surprising.

James' stubble grazed against her shoulder as he growled into her ear, "Did little Maddie just curse? Hmmm, how surprising." The only response was a cute little whimper followed by a hastening in her hips. The muscular lad chuckled and grabbed her hips firmly, "Mmm, honestly, I didn't think my day would end up like this. With the very good girl, Madeline Williams, cursing while she fucks herself on my cock."

"James, you're t- Ahh, you're teasing." He watched intently as blood rushed to her cheeks before he thrust into her damp core, studying her face as it contorted in bliss and a glorious moan rang out.

With a groan and a curse, his playful demeanor melted away to pure hunger as he pulled her hips back to meet his fierce thrusts. The room erupted into moans and the gentle sound of skin against skin, the space filled with a thick heat accompanied with the musk of both sweat and sex. Any sense of time was drowned out by absolute ecstasy as the two explored one another, panting in need.

"James! Oh  _Mon Dieu_! You're gonna-" Madeline's statement had been cut off by her 4th orgasm of the night. Her body convulsed and her legs threatened to give out under her weight, causing her housemate to grab her hips, holding her weight alone. He felt her quiver around his length as he urged her on.

"Good girl, that's a very good girl. Just cum for me." Her whimpers syncing with the thrusts as he stretched her orgasm out for as long as he could. She was having trouble speaking by now, he could tell, "Fuck, Maddie, are you ready for me?"

The gasp of excitement was enough to get to the brink, but he would wait for her. "P-Please.."

He thrust deep into her, bringing out an orgasm to match his own. Stars invaded his vision as he leaned forward, feeling his angel fall gracelessly to the mattress and putting an arm out to support his weight in the aftershocks of euphoria. His length was still being tortured by her intimate spasms and he was struggling to keep from crushing the sweat-drenched girl. Coming down from his high, he pulled out of her heat to discard the full condom into a nearby beer can before collapsing beside the wrecked woman. After catching her breath, she slowly dragged herself under the arm of her affection, snuggling against the wet hair of his chest to listen to his heart begin to slow.

"Jesus. Mads, did I hurt you?"

"No. It was good."

"I went rougher that I meant to. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'll grab a painkiller. I'm getting sore." Madeline carefully pulled the flannel closed before attempting to stand up from the bed. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she began falling back to the bed before the rather experienced sex god caught her, loading her into his arms and making his way downstairs, "Uh, James? The bathroom's that way."

"I know where the bathroom is in my own house, Mads. We're getting you something to eat first. Never take meds on an empty stomach, or did you forget my old man's ulcer?" He plopped his lady onto the red fabric of their couch before disappearing into the kitchen to grab some day-old pizza from the fridge. Madeline fruitlessly combed her fingers through her hair, now heavy with sweat, as she wondered if what just happened was love or a fling. Sadly, she was in such a strange mental state at the time that now her memories were fuzzy. She was tired, both physically and in some new way. The ring of the doorbell startled her as James returned from the kitchen with a pizza slice for the girl, "Cover yourself, I'll answer it."

The familiar bell sounded once again for visitors as the rather intimidating figure sauntered over to the door. Madeline wondered when he put underwear on, especially since he definitely came downstairs nude. She shyly checked out her crush's ass, now with a new understanding of his workout. But James didn't seem to enjoy what he was seeing through the peephole of the front door. With a defeated sigh, he slowly opened his home to these visitors from out of town.


	5. A Sprinkle of Salt

"Matthieu Jameson Williams! What in the world were you thinking?! Beating your brother like that then just tossing him onto the rainy streets is just cruel!" The normally bouncy englishman wasted no time on formalities before waltzing past the barely-clothed man, continuing on his lecture without a single pause for any defense to be offered, "Oh! And you even left a hole in your wall! At least it seems to be a fair fight. Hopefully those scratches taught you a very valuable lesson. You put a shiner on the boy!"

The foul odor of old cigarettes entered the house before the exhausted frenchman, " _Bonjour,_ James. Allen showed up at our hotel with a bloody nose and now you seem to have some hell to pay."

" _Bonjour_ _,_ Papa. Did you say hotel?"

" _Oui._ Some sort of couples therapy trip."

Madeline struggled to button her borrowed flannel before the trio erupted into the room, lead by the short baker covered in pastels. She cautiously observed the group as Oliver made a beeline for the kitchen, to take out his frustration by making some bread to knead, all while wagging his finger at her new lover. Francois moved at a leisurely pace beside his past ward, studying the scratches on the boy's body before slyly looking over to the hardly covered young lady on the couch. He must've understood by now and she couldn't keep the embarrassment from taking hold of her chest. While the taller canadian strolled into the kitchen to withstand the ravings of his angered parent, the frenchman made his way over to the couch to sit with the very shy lass.

" _Desole,_ Madeline. It seems we've interrupted one of my favored pastimes. Oliver has quite a bit of trouble seeing certain realities before forming his own. Did you have fun?" Francois grinned to the young lady with a very heavy blush on her cheeks as he began reaching for her hand, to which she obliged, "He's always been gentle with his ladies, I would've given a severe punishment for scratches." She could smell a twinge of wine on his breath as he studied her fingernails closely.

"It was my first time, I've never scratched like that before. Did I hurt him?"

A look of surprise flashed against his features too fast for her to read, " _Non,_ you wouldn't be able. Regardless, I find it very difficult to believe you gave your virginity to someone like James. That would be a mistake only shadowed by giving it to me."

" _Non!_ Not like that! I meant I'd never had anything like that before. Like, the harder stuff." Her voice became quiet and she avoided his eyes in fear of judgement.

"Ah. And he was easy on you. After all he's learned from me, he decides he wants to be a gentleman."

"Honestly, it's just not being an asshole." James chimed in as he flopped over the back of the couch, suddenly wearing some dirty old work pants. Madeline remembered the full laundry basket she had forgotten the night before.

"Language!" The short brit sang as he set a tray of teacups and all the works for creating the perfect spot of tea, "That's a dollar in the swear jar. Anyways, dearie, you are going to apologize to your brother. Perhaps you can bring Madeline along to keep you to your manners." The pastel-clad man began flipping through the few boxes of tea, "Madeline, dear, would you like sugar? I remember which flavour is your fondest but I can never remember if you want it to be nearly as sweet as you."

"Oh, um, one cube please, Oliver." 

"What a wonderful girl with the cutest blush ever. You're very lucky to have such a good influence, James. Now, I know Allen likes to push your buttons but, and this comes from a licensed family therapist so listen close, he's the baby of our family. He's just trying to understand his place and wants to mimic the big brother that is admired as the perceived favourite. He idolizes you, dear, and you need to help him secure his individuality."

"Lemme guess, all this from that seminar from a month ago? When did you start on this weird "family therapy" kick?"

"It's been about two months. It's so tiring, he won't let me unwind with a good year anymore. We're not even married." Francois grumbled, rubbing his temples.

"Sweetie, getting legless is not "unwinding". And it's not my fault that someone won't sign the marriage certificate because of deeply rooted issues regarding emotional intimacy."

James rolled his eyes at the discussion in his living room, silently trading looks with his housemate trapped on the other side of his french former-caretaker.

"Or perhaps I simply don't wish to marry. I enjoy the finer things far too much to throw it away."

Madeline saw hurt on James' features for only a second before it was replaced with annoyance. He stood and started towards the back door.

"James, dear?", The englishman inquired before his host left entirely.

"I'll let you visit with Maddie, I gotta fix the hole in the wall."

"Okie-Dokie."

 The trio settled for tea as the tallest canadian disappeared into the lonely shed in the backyard.

"Madeline, what was your side of the scene?"

Her attention fell to the amused french accent before searching her memories for her answer, "Well, Allen and I were cooking lunch. And James fell asleep. Then-" ,the shy girl took a moment to decide her lover's father figures didn't really need gritty details of her near-sexual encounter with his bother, "Then when we were about to eat, Allen said some kinda rude things to James. I tried to keep it from getting physical but Allen egged him on. Some of it was probably my fault."

The brit nodded quietly, mulling over the scenario before responding, "Allen will be getting punished for his deplorable behaviour, poppet. But please remind James to apologize to you and his brother for turning to violence. Lord above, I tried to raise them into fine young gentlemen. But, dear, how was it your fault?"

" _Mon cher,_ it's very normal to be lost in a moment." Francios spoke absently as he stood up from beside the girl before letting out a sigh, "Allen won't punish himself."

"Oh! You're quite right, luv. We simply must be going."

"We? I'm quite sure you were the one who had business elsewhere. I am going to stay where I can keep conversation."

"Oh, poppycock! That would be imposing. Madeline? Would you please see us to the door?"

The frenchman looked over to the girl with a silent desperation, _"_ _S'il vous plaît, laissez-moi rester pour le vin."_

Before the already frustrated baker had time to request a translation, Madeline found an excuse. "Oh! You're right! I never had the chance to eat, thank you for the offer." Her lie was hidden very nicely behind her sweet smile, nicely enough to fool the man she was leading to the door.

"Well, Madeline, if he gives you any trouble at all, call me. And remember, dearie, no alcohol for him, he's trying to cut back. And don't forget to call me later so I can pick him up.."

" _Au revoir maman."_ The messy-haired smoker called after the two before darting into the kitchen, a rare smile brightening his features.

"Um, thank you for stopping by Mr. Oliver, I should probably not keep him waiting."

With a painfully tight hug and a bouncy smile, her guest set off to his sinister commitment, leaving her with a chill climbing up her spine. She worried about what would happen to Allen, the smiley brit had quite a temper when it came to being proper. But the sounds of a hedonist rummaging through her cupboards demanded her attention for the time being.

"Madeline, where do you keep it?" His accent threatened frustration as she quickly returned to the kitchen, her blonde curls bouncing behind her as she gingerly stepped over to the opposite pantry. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as she pulled out a bottle of beautiful red wine before inquiring about glasses. "I assume you would dislike it if I drank from the bottle, _Oui?_ _"_

"Glasses are in the cupboard to your left. Um, if I may be excused?" The canadian beauty quickly disappeared into the laundry room, searching for underwear to put on under her oversized flannel. She heard the pop of a cork and the sound of wine filling a glass before Francois' voice floated in from the adjacent room.

"If you would like some, you would need to grab your own glass. I would like to discuss the boys regardless."

She froze for a moment, what could he know? Would Allen say anything? She sheepishly walked back into the kitchen, deciding that wine would help with this conversation. Francois leaned casually against the island, balancing the glass in his fingers.

"Allen told me he had his way with you. I know he did not. The boy enjoys his inflating his pride far too much. But I am very curious as to how James reacted. And if you have told the truth."

"Allen- well, James-" She struggled to find the words to explain herself as the the man coolly sipped his wine. "Allen kissed me, but no sex happened. Then he taunted James by saying he went down on me. James was not so happy about that."

"Ah. Well, then, you must know how the boys feel then. You see, the pink sheep of Europe has indeed learned a few things from the past two months. I have too. Allen truly is trying to be protective of his friend. Nothing less than perfection for the perfect 'son' will do. James doesn't realize he has extremely poor taste in companions, Madeline. Poor taste in father figures as well. Allen has taken it upon himself to dismiss the less loyal ones from his comrade's life but now it seems he's met his match. A woman of truth. Even after the destruction of purity, you remained. James has finally been spared an empty heart. But now I wonder if true envy will surface. Will Allen desire James' happiness? Or will he be content with giving up his role as the protective martyr? Regardless, you will need to have a heart to heart with the man you've ruined. Will you be able to withstand the pain of healing?"

"I didn't know that about Allen. Have you told James? Shouldn't he know?"

"Would it truly help? Which would you rather believe? That everyone is poison or just one person? As it stands, Allen may be the only one that's kept James from my mistakes. I'm no father, but I still have a soul, even as drowned as it is, it exists. Forgive me,  _mon cher,_ I do seem to have lost some of my tolerance for wine in the past two months. One sip of a hidden flask isn't nearly enough."

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Allen was testing me. In his own strange way, he's trying to help his brother."

"The Mother isn't here. We needn't inject family dynamics anymore. You can call things what they are." The relaxed energy began to emerge in her companion's voice. He was beginning to unwind but she feared his new intolerance would bring on intoxication faster than usual. "Some part of me believes that habit has done more harm than good. James has some fatherly issues, no doubt. I can tell he dislikes my honesty."

 Madeline took an uncomfortably large sip of her wine, avoiding the icy stare of the frenchman, "I'm sure Oliver had good intentions. It sounds terrible to grow up without a parental figure. I couldn't imagine how I'd be if I grew up without Francine and Alice."

_"Oui, c'est terrible. Mon cher,_ I was never meant to look after a child. I know James' deserved much more than me, and yet he still craves my guidance. You can see where trouble arises." Francois motioned for the half-empty bottle and Madeline found herself solemnly impressed that he'd finished his glass so soon as she slid it across the island to his cigarette-stained fingers,  _"Merci, Madeline."_

The back door's familiar creak floated into the kitchen's silence as the heavy thud of boots drummed against the floorboards.

"Mads? You still here?"

"Francois and I are having wine in the kitchen!"

James' large frame meandered in to meet his vixen and the drunk before gently picking up his precious blonde and placing her on the cool marble top of the island, "Note to self, make some barstools for in here. So, where's the warden?"

"Ah, well, Allen has some hell to pay and it seems Satan demanded his favourite demon to do the deed." The tall woodsman held back a cringe of past fear in contrast to the monotony of the accented speaker, "But, lucky me, your _mignon petit chaton_ understands the importance of french blood."

A light blush tinted the girl's cheeks at the admittedly strange compliment. Part of her wondered if she looked drunk with the pink in her face, even if she had barely finished half of her glass. She then realized her housemate's hand hadn't moved away from her knee, causing her blush to run deeper and darker than before. James couldn't help but notice. "You alright, Mads?"

"Um, yeah! I just thought of something silly. I'm alright."

"Would you like to share,  _mon petit?_ _"_ Francois seemed suddenly amused, there was some twinkle in his eye like he was solving some puzzle.

Before she could respond, James intruded, "First, she's not yours. Second, what's with all these nicknames? You never use nicknames like that."

_"Desole, James._ I was unaware she disliked them." The riddle-solver's eyes grew piercing for a moment before the idea finally bloomed in his previous ward's mind.

"Mads? You ok with weird cutesy nicknames?" The boy intently studied her features as she debated it within her head.

"I mean, they're cute. I like cute things, you know? Like polar bears, and moose. But I mean, like, nicknames are cool but you know, if it's weird then heh, I dunno, eh." The more she rambled, the deeper her blush got, and the harder it was to keep from smiling. Yet Francois never broke his stoic, bored expression.

"No need to be bashful,  _mon petit Madeline._ One should be honest with one's desires."

It finally clicked in the blonde beauty's mind. Francois had been setting her up, studying her. No doubt with the intention of exposing her secret wants and needs to the object of her affection. She thought about James' book of body language, and why Francois didn't seem to mind its absence.

 "Speaking of desire, what course will today's escapade run?"

Both James and Madeline struggled to find words before the boy replied with a cool,  _"Qui sera sera._ Don't expect drama over it, yeah? Allen's just being a shit as always." Even though it was very apparent that that was not the subject the inquirer meant, James wanted to hold off on facing those awkward and terrifying implications, "Don't drink all my wine. It wasn't fuckin' cheap. Go rinse out your mouth then you're goin' home to make sure Allen's not dead."

Fully understanding the unspoken exchange, Francois finished his glass with one loud gulp before slinking off to the nearby bathroom, leaving the two lovers with an uncomfortable and thick silence between them.

"You should probably call the Warden to pick his sorry ass up." James said with an unimpressed shrug as he busied himself at the sink, deciding that the best time to clean ashtrays is during awkward silences like this one.


	6. Hard Days, Cold Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James wants simplicity, but life isn't always simple.

The house itself seemed to glow with warmth against the rainy night and the pair laughing in its kitchen stood taller, supported with newfound relief from the hardships of the day.

"Jeez, what a day." Madeline's sun-kissed form sat confidently on the counter as her housemate worked a ball of dough into a familiar circle.

"Yeah, you can really see why I don't deal with family. I can only work off so much pizza." A genuine smile spread across James' face when he lifted a wink towards his companion. "Not that I mind you as a workout partner."

The girl couldn't help but let out a bashful giggle before hiding her face behind her hands. James, seeing a very nice opportunity, abandoned the dough on the counter to silently slink over the the beautiful bystander and trap the girl's wrists within his gentle grasp, "You keep leaving all this prep to me, and you will be making up for it later." With a tug to lead the girl back towards the flour-dusted workspace, the two found themselves in a kind feeling. A sense of relaxation and trust that neither had felt in many moons seeped into the room, making the world seem brighter for the time being.

Madeline melted into James' strong form as he kissed up the side of her neck, his attention bringing a new difficulty to making pizzas. His hands, firmly planted on her hips, gave her a peace of mind that was happily unfamiliar. As though she was a treasure that was being fiercely guarded by a dragon hellbent on demonstrating his possession of her. She felt a shiver erupt down her spine as his teeth threatened against her earlobe, his hot breath licking against her skin with every new word.

"Baby, you're zoning."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was just thinking of what Francois said."

"And what was that, hm?" James instinctively tried to distract himself with bringing the raw pizza to the oven, taking his time to set it down within the heated chamber.

"He said that I should call Allen." She could see her housemate's body tense at the mention of his brother, "That I should reject him myself so everything is super clear."

James' face grew warm as his jaw clenched. He didn't understand why this upset him so much. Was it because that prick tried shit on HIS girl? Was she even his girl? Did she WANT to talk to that piece of shit again? How could she trust that shit wouldn't go down again? Did she care? His mouth moved before his mind could derail the rushing train of thought.

"Don't fuckin' bother." The oven door shut loudly before the boy turned to face the confused girl. His face stayed stoic and cool while his tensed body emanated some strange anger. Madeline struggled to identify the emotion pounding in her chest as she was lifted effortlessly into the cage of her companions arms, her back hit the wall and she felt her weight supported on his hips being steadied by a strong hand on her lower back, the other hand gripped her hair and held it steady to keep her in this caged position between her kitchen wall and a now intimidating friend.

"J-James?"

"Don't think just because we fucked that we're a thing. You couldn't handle me. You wanna hang around with that dipshit? Be my fucking guest. But let me be clear, he's much less patient than I am. If you really wanna prove shit, you're gonna work for it, got that, Princess?"

If she was going to let herself be Allen's toy, fine. But James was gonna make sure he got a fucking turn first. If his feelings were gonna be fucked with, it'd be on HIS own terms.

There was a small wince as the trapped girl's neck felt his stinging teeth nearly pierce her skin. But, just as soon as he pulled away, she was left standing in the kitchen, alone and aching, watching through the window as his shadow moved towards his lonely backyard haven. She felt hurt but couldn't tell by what. 

Was this rejection? Had she hurt him? Her mind focused on his words with no chance of fleeing them. Was she not good enough? She sat on the kitchen floor with her back rested against the wall, shivering in a strange mixture of fear and anger. If she wasn't good enough for him, then what did that mean for their time together? by the time the timer rang out into the gloomy room, her fear and anger had dissolved into a sadness she knew a bit too well. She lowered the phone she had gripped in her anger, making her way back over to the abandoned food to set it on the counter to cool. Her stomach was too heavy with choked down tears to endure digestion so she simply set a slice on a plate for her frustrated roomie and set the rest in their fridge before planting herself on her familiar couch, settling in for an overplayed documentary. She just felt heavy and tired, needing rest but not wishing for sleep. Just wanting a distraction in the form of texts from a certain dark-haired american. She wondered if she should worry about his snooping her phone just to send himself a text but decided that she hadn't the energy to care. The weight of the day finally settled on her, pinning her to the couch with her phone sutured to her hand and a paper plate topped with a forgotten pizza slice on the coffee table.

A familiar buzz ran through her fingers with every new interaction.

-Hey doll ;)

She struggled to settle on a response. A sentence or a paragraph. At this point, she didn't want to think anymore. Every new thought only brought up more uncertainties.

-Hey.

-U miss me already? :P

-I actually wanted to say that I didn't wanna go any further. I really like James. And out of respect for him, I hope you'll respect boundaries.

-R u friendzoning me?

-..Yeah

Her heart raced as she watched the dots pop up at the bottom of her screen and it nearly stopped when the message arrived.

-Call me.

She gulped down a deep breath as she pressed the phone icon next to the contact name, barely reacting to the sleaziness of the title SEXY BOI. He answered after the second ring.

 "Hey baby."

"You shouldn't call me that."

"Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I think you're making a huge mistake. Believe me, I'm a lot more talented."

His smirk was practically dripping from his voice when he mentioned his so-called 'talent'.

"It's not about that. Besides, I like how James is."

"Ah, so you finally fucked him? Was it as good as you hoped, Babydoll?"

"I- Uh- Well.. Yeah, I did. It was really good. That's why we- you can't do that again. He was really upset."

"I think any Dom would be pissed if someone was puttin' the moves on their prospective sub."

"Huh?"

His laugh brought a deep blush of embarrassment to her cheeks.

"You gotta be pulling my dick here, doll. No way you're vanilla."

"Vanilla?"

Suddenly, his demeanor was more serious than she thought he was capable of.

"Jesus. So, earlier in the kitchen, you'd never... done that before?"

The answer hung clear in the silence between them. His voice broke it before she had the mind to speak.

"Doll, I had no clue. Why the fuck didn't you tell me? Shit. Look, let me make it up to you. I know I'm a prick but I wouldn't've done something like that if I knew."

"I don't think I should. James is already upset that I was gonna talk to you again."

"Fuck, I'm sure he should be. As far as he thinks, I assaulted you. In a bad way. How 'bout this, dinner tomorrow. My treat. In public and Jamesey can chaperone. I'll have Ma set somethin' up."

Before she could even point out all the potential flaws with that plan, the familiar beep of an ended call silenced her. Left in a rather confusing aftermath, she finally set to eating her slice before switching her focus to the polar bears on the television, not that her mind was able to focus on anything but the newfound anxiety surrounding tomorrow's evening.


	7. Truce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can the brothers find peace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day 2019! Have a weird dinner date!

"He's lucky Mom's a bigger ass than he is. But as soon as he even looks at you wrong, we're gone."

James' words echoed in Madeline's mind as she peaked over her menu and across the table to her host, her gut twisting at the sight of the shiner behind his sunglasses. Her roommate's grip tightened on her thigh as he spoke up.

"I'm getting the lobster dinner."

"Sure. I said it was my treat, and I stand by it. I'm getting their ratatouille. What about you, Maddie?"

The young beauty jumped slightly at the sudden question, realizing she had been paying more attention to the awkward tension than to her order. Quickly scanning her menu, she found a relatively cheap dish.

"Um, I think I'll just have a caesar salad."

"No, Mads. Pick something more substantial." James command was obviously regarding cost rather than nutritional value. His eyes still burned into his brother with laser focus.

"Ok, um, the salmon?"

"Better."

Allen's crooked smile dismissed the waitress from her post beside their table after the menus were gathered. His attention returned to the pair across the table from him.

"Look, I know I went too far-"

"That's a big fucking understatement, asshole. At least this time we weren't actually dating."

"Oh, come on. Like I'm supposed to know you weren't just being rejected? I mean, really, you might've been trying and she just wasn't interested."

"Fuck you. You fucking knew she wasn't cool with the shit you pulled. If you even fucking think about her again, I'll fucking slaughter you like the pig you are."

Allen quickly swallowed his next sharp remark with a deep breath before responding, "We're off topic. I'm here to apologize and make it up to her. And here you are talking over her instead of letting her speak for herself. I think, if you won't grow a pair and just fucking claim her, then let her make her own goddamn decisions. Either she's your girl or she's not. Come one, man. Saying you're not dating her but you're grabbing her thigh like you own her. It's not like she's even your sub, she's fucking vanilla. And that's why I'm here."

Madeline's eyes were suddenly met with her darkened reflection in the tan boy's glasses.

"Maddie, I'm sorry for going that far with you. I genuinely didn't realize I was hurting you and I wouldn't've done that if I did know. I thought you were prepared for it and it's my bad for assuming shit." The boy's attention returned to his childhood companion, "I'm an asshole, but I'd never do something without a go-ahead. I'd hope you'd get that by now."

"Bullshit, you do things without a go-ahead every fucking time. You think I ever asked you to fuck my exes?"

Allen busied himself with cracking his knuckles before hissing back his answer, "No, but they did. Dude, get it through you're fucking head, the only girls you go for are whores. Simple. They pretend to be happy and shit with you then they come crawling to me, begging me to fuck them senseless. So, I gotta know, is Maddie a whore or is she your girl?"

There was no right answer. If he admitted his feelings, it only justified Al's 'test' and if he avoided the truth, there was no crime against him. But Madeline's voice broke the silence before a decision was further demanded.

"Allen, stop being so rude. I'm right here. You're saying I should speak for myself but then you call me horrible things like I don't even exist. Stop acting like you're the nice guy here."

Both men's eyes snapped to the usually mild-mannered girl with a sudden temper of a badger. Surprise evident on their faces as hers strained to keep composure despite the hot, angered tears on her cheeks. James felt ashamed yet proud of her burst of confidence, whilst Allen felt a the sting of embarrassment mixed with a strange sense of satisfaction before she stood and walked purposefully to the women's washroom, leaving the boys in stunned silence.

"Jesus. I've never seen her do that, you're a real fuckin' prick if you could manage piss her off enough for her to do that."

"Never claimed sainthood. I'll get her some crepes after dinner, though. Ma'll have my head if I don't."

"The fuck makes you think we'd be sticking around after that?"

"At least if you leave, it's cuz she wants to. Not cuz you're pussyfootin'."

"She does what she wants-"

"No, she doesn't. Stop being so fucking blind. She's sitting there waiting on you and you're such a fucking pussy that you're leading her on. At least I'm not a little bitch."

"Ya know what, shut the fuck up. You don't know shit and you sure as hell don't get to say shit about my love life when all you do is wreck it."

"I wreck shit? Oh, that's fuckin' rich. Those bitches wrecked shit themselves."

James bit his tongue as he watched a waitress carefully step towards their table, balancing plates within her arms and setting them gently before the seats while confirming the dishes with the two brothers. After completing her task, she returned to her station nearby. The pair began eating in silence, glancing over to the women's restroom and the lone plate beside them periodically over the next two minutes. There was a sigh of relief when the blonde was spotted in her return trip to the table.

"Was almost worried you fell in, didn't know if you wanted a box."

"I'm ok, James. Just fixed my makeup."

Neither man knew how to react to her short answer, but Allen tried anyway. "Maddie? You can order a crepe, my treat. It's an apology treat, for being a dumbass."

"For calling me a slut, or just in general?"

James hid a laugh under a cough as Allen smiled with pride, "In general, sweetheart. Lord knows, I can't show a woman with sass any disrespect, they're too clever."

Although she was obviously upset with the both of them, they couldn't help but struggle to stay serious as her cute little pout covered her face for a moment before she set to distracting herself with her food.

Near the end of their rather quiet meal, the waitress returned, inquiring about dessert for the trio.

"A crepe for the lady. Sorry, doll, no clue what'cha want on it."

"Strawberries."

"With creme." James reminded, "I'll take some chocolate mousse."

"Oh god, you can still eat chocolate?"

"Only if it's not Mom's."

"Well, ain't you lucky."

Madeline's confused expression earned a bit of explanation from James, "He made a special 'sex chocolate' to use with Papa. Al happened to see it in action. Hasn't eaten chocolate since."

"I blame my current filthy ways completely on them, by the way. I'm sure Ma can use his new therapy mumbo jumbo to explain that shit. You got anything to blame on your folks, doll?"

After a moment in thought, Madeline spoke, "Nothing sexual like that."

"That's not what Pops said. Aw, look at that blush. No worries, doll. That's why I thought you were jokin' when you said you were vanilla. That old perv is always reading into things weird."

James' strong arm wrapped around the girl's waist, offering some form of safe haven to the blushing lass.

"All I said was that nicknames are cute. That's not weird!" Madeline's voice seem slightly higher in pitch as she defended herself from even more embarrassment, "And besides, that's not even really sexual or anything. I was only blushing like that because I was drinking!"

"Frankly, Al, that's not nearly as weird as your shit. Mr. Watches-Hentai-For-The-Weird-Face."

"Ok, number one, it's called Ahegao. And two, it's hot so you can shut the fuck up."

Once again, the conversation was derailed by the delivery of food to the table. Madeline's face showed only happiness as she enjoyed her fruity confection, contrasted by James' usual stoic demeanor as he ate his own dessert.

"So, babydoll, forgive me? For being a dumbass in general?"

"I dunno, I'm not angry at you anymore but you were really mean.", Madeline's lips taunted James with every word as a drop of creme wandered lower on her shy smile, tinted red from the sweet berries she loved so much.

"Why d'you care so much about if she forgives you? Maybe if you wanted her to not hate you, you shoulda been less of a shit to her."

"You saying you'd want me to be a shit to your new girlfriend? Cause trust me, fucker, I could be a lot fuckin' worse."

James tensed before blurting out a defensive, "She's not my girlfriend. We're just roomies. Why the fuck does everyone just fucking assume we're a thing, o-or that it's their goddamn business."

Allen's eyes lit up with mischief from behind his dark shades, "So she's not your girl, not your sub, not your property. By that logic, it's cool if I do this." With a flash of a wicked smile, the dark american's hand pulled the girl out of the protection of her seat and to her feet, his arm hooking around her waist to steady her whilst avoiding any restrictive behaviour. His breath smelled of cigarettes and cooked veggies as he spoke quietly in her ear, "Baby, I really could give you a good fuckin' time. Wouldn't even mind teachin' ya, if you're up for it."

But before James could knock his chair out far enough to move, Madeline's voice rang out.

"I have to go." The young lady unceremoniously gathered her purse and set towards the door, the abandoned men watched curiously as she walked beyond the car lot and towards the street.


	8. Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys need to face facts. Madeline does too.

"Mads, come on. Just let me drive you home."

Madeline shook her head and crossed her arms, making it clear she had every intention of taking the bus home rather than spend a car ride with her counterpart. As the taller canadian continued his attempts of convincing his roommate, Allen anxiously glanced down the road, searching for the public transport.

"Doll, stop playing. I mean, fuck, if you don't want him to drive you, I can."

"No."

"You have 'til the count of three. Then, I'm taking you to the car whether you like it or not."

James' threat was snubbed with a flip of the girl's hair and a slight turn away from his direction.

"One."

His voice had an edge that tugged her arms apart before she stubbornly stuck her tongue out at the man. Before another number could be recited, the tall, dark, and handsome american pulled the girl off the cement bench and hoisted her over his shoulder, much to her disbelief.

"Doll, you wanna throw a tantrum and act like a little brat, you're getting treated like one. I got no fuckin' patience for this shit."

Despite her struggling and desperate looks towards her crush, he simply walked casually alongside his brother.

"I'm an adult! I can get home by myself!"

"Nope. Big girls don't sit there and stick their tongues out at someone just cause they don't like what they hear. But, you can have a choice who you ride home with."

James shrug of agreement to his brother's words betrayed the blonde beauty's hope of rescue from this embarrassing treatment.

"Neither!"

"Not an option, babe. Pick one it'll be picked for you."

The girl's annoyed silence followed the trio to a pair of cars. One, an old beat-up truck. The other, a sleek hybrid. Allen gently set her down but kept a hand around her wrist as he motioned to either car only to be met with more silence from the lass.

"Fine, you wanna play that game, let's fuckin' play, doll." The american snapped as he pulled the girl to his smaller, eco-friendly car, guiding her to the passenger's seat and allowing her to sit down before buckling her in and shutting the door.

She spent the car ride through the familiar streets staring into the rear-view mirror, watching the the man tapping his fingers on truck's steering wheel and wondering how he could justify this treatment from his brother. How could this man, the guy who punched his brother just for hitting on her, just go along with this? Did he stop caring? Did he really mean it when he said there was nothing between them? Was their little rendezvous simply just a quick fuck? Her attention was brought back out of her mind as the car slowed to a stop outside her home.

"You gonna behave or do I need to carry you again?"

She watched her long-haired friend walk up to her door before speaking, "You don't treat people like this."

"You do if they deserve it."

Hearing James say that. Her heart beat in her ears, her eyes went teary.

"What did I do to deserve you having sex with me just to throw me away like nothing?! Then, to have you treat me like I'm just some trophy to steal and suddenly expect me to just go on a date with you?! I don't wanna be toyed with. I dunno if you think it's fun or cute or what but it just hurts. It just-" Her voice broke as her hands rushed to cover her face. She didn't mean to get so worked up, to cry in front of them.

"C'mon Mads, let's get you inside."

"N-no. Just tell me what I am. What am I to you? Am I just some whore?"

"Aw, doll. I already said sorry for that-"

"Not you. James, do I really not mean anything to you? I'm tired of this. You fuck me, then insist we're nothing. But then when someone else is interested, you get upset. Don't you want me?"

"Mads, I don't wanna talk about this right now."

"But I do. Allen, were you being serious about me? Or were you just testing me?"

"Jeez, doll. I mean, probably not the best timing but, I wasn't planning on just ditchin' ya. I know I've gone though my share of hookups but I do try to work things out."

"Bullshit! You just steal anyone you can. You never stick with them!"

"Hey fucker! You don't fuckin' know how those bitches were. That's why you put up with their shit. But as soon as they realized they couldn't walk all over me and treat me like shit like you would've let them, they fuckin' bounced. Don't judge shit you don't know."

The car's beeps signifying an open door silenced the growing argument as Madeline decided she'd had enough of this avoidance of answers. She didn't stop to close the door behind her, didn't stop to shed her shoes in the hall, didn't stop to acknowledge Allen's questions or apologies on the stairs, her only pause was to close her bedroom door before flopping onto her soft mattress.


	9. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys try to smooth things over.

"Doll. Hiding in your room isn't gonna help anything."

"Hey, dipshit, she obviously doesn't wanna talk to either of us right now. Leave her alone." James' voice traveled up the stairwell from his spot on the couch in the living room.

Without regarding his brother's words, Allen sat before the door with his back leaning against the white wood. "Babydoll, I wanna talk. About all this shit, because it's confusing as fuck. I just want some straight fuckin' answers. Just like you."

The girl's quiet voice floated out from behind the door, "I'm not in the mood Allen." The tanned lad could decipher the hint of tears in her tone.

"C'mon, baby, I'll behave. Just talk to me. To my face."

Her silence brought a small frown to the boy's lips before being broken, "You promise?"

"Pinky swear, doll."

The door opened after a few moments, allowing the boy inside to sit on the carpet with the misty-eyed blonde, "S-so, what do you want?"

"The truth, doll. Do you want me or him? I mean, you let me do all that in the kitchen then you go and fuck him. But then you text me to say you don't want me just to let me take you to a fancy-ass restaurant and give you a ride in my car. Look, if you really want him, only him, I can back up. But I don't want him talking over you. So, I wanna hear it from you, him or me?"

"He doesn't want me."

"That wasn't what I asked, doll. Just tell me what you want. Don't even think about it, just say the first thing that pops into your skull."

"I don't know."

"Fine. How 'bout this: Did you wanna kiss me in the restaurant?" He noticed her pause in contemplation before interrupting, "Stop thinking, doll."

"Yeah."

"But you still want to kiss him, don't you?"

Her shy nod told him all he really needed to know before her cheeks grew wet with tears once again, "God, I really am a whore."

Well-muscled arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her close as the charmer hushed her with comforting sways, "No, baby, you're not. We're just idiots. You're a good girl stuck with some really shitty guys, is all. I'm sorry for fucking shit up. You were already dealing with his bullshit and I came in and fucked with you even more. You really do like him. And trust me, he digs you too. I can back off, it's really no big deal. You won't have to put up with my shit-"

"Please don't leave me." Even Madeline seemed shocked by the words that shot from her lips.

"Aw, doll. I won't. You're okay, promise. Just take a breath and let it out, I'm with ya 'til you start feeling better." With gentle shushing and a few strokes through her hair, Allen felt the lass in his lap begin to relax before moving a hand to her back to rub little circles, "If it makes you feel better, I don't think you're a slut. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with being one but, you're not. You're just.. conflicted. It'd probably be bad if you weren't, if I'm honest. None of the girls before you were ever really conflicted, the biggest problem they ever worried about was how to make convincing lies. But, so far, you've been kinda running from that." A soft chuckle escaped the american before he continued, "I mean, you literally just walk away whenever the topic of you really being with him or me comes up. Look, sweetheart, if you gotta sort shit out, that's fine. But you gotta stand up for yourself. If you want him, sit his ass down and tell him."

"I can't do-"

"Knock that off. That shit's what got you in trouble in the first place. You absolutely coulda told me to eat shit, I woulda backed off. You make the rules, doll. You know what? Fuck it, this is getting sorted now."

With little warning, the lass was lifted from her bedroom floor and carried downstairs to the living room where the stoic woodsman sat glaring at his brother's contact with her. The tanned lad just gently sat the girl on the couch before speaking, "Y'all got some 'splaining to do."

"The fuck? What's there to explain?"

"God, you really are a dumbass. Alright, fucker, lemme spell it out for you. She's into you. you don't have the balls to actually go for her. I actually have a pair so I show her how a real man acts. She finally fucking feels as sexy as she is but she still digs you. So, simple fucking solution, either flat out reject her so she can move the fuck on or, grow a goddamn pair and tell her what's up. Got it now, dickwad?"

"Allen!"

"Doll, there's literally nothing to get all embarrassed about. But this shit's stupid and annoying. Do you want her or not? 'Cause she's sitting up there crying 'cause you're to chickenshit to clear things up."

"Mads, he tellin' the truth?"

Madeline's face turned a shade of pink neither man had seen on her before as she cautiously nodded, her eyes glued to her lap.

"C'mere." The woodsman's intimidating exterior softened as he motioned for the girl in for a hug, much to her surprise. "Look, Mads, I do really like you, maybe the other thing but I'm not sure yet. But what the hell am I supposed to think when you decide you want that shitstain touch you instead of me?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up. You really expect that mouse of a chick to say the shit you won't even say? Jesus fuck, I had to drag her down here just to start this goddamn shitshow."

"I guess I couldn't call Red, I'm sorry."

Much to Allen's confusion, James had a stunning realization. "Shit, Mads, no. You have nothing to be sorry about, I swear. I was stupid and didn't put two and two together."

"Anyone wanna maybe tell me what the fuck's going on?"

After her sniffling died down a bit, Madeline tried to explain, "Safewords. I couldn't just say what I needed to."

"Ah, shit. Quick question, did you uh, like, actually want what went down in the kitchen or did I um, f-force you? Like, is that where the safeword thing applied?"

"N-no! I mean, yes. No to the safeword, yes to the wanted. James told me me that I need to be able to call my safeword so I don't get hurt. That I should never hesitate."

"Jeez, the one time you say something smart, no one hears it."

"Fuck off, man. I thought she understood."

"For real? Dude, dunno if ya noticed, but you can't just expect a girl like her to do a 180 in one night. She doesn't like saying the hard shit, exactly like you. God, you're hopeless. Look, doll, every once in a while the dumbass says somethin' smart. If somethin's goin' on that you're not cool with, sexual or otherwise, I better see you bustin' some skulls. Even if it's ours. So, let loose. Just say anything, everything you wanna. I promise I'll keep my smart mouth shut 'til you get it all out. But I'm tired of this weird fuckin' guesswork."

Madeline's violet eyes met Allen's strangely warm gaze for a split second before once again moving her focus back to her lap, attempting to hide her anxious lip-biting behind her blonde curls.

"Mads, it's okay to talk. Don't hesitate, remember?" James' strong arms wrapped around her waist, granting her a feeling of comfort and safety.

"I- I love you, James. But you don't want me. Not like I want you. Even though it hurts, I can accept it. I won't force you to be with me. And Allen? I know you don't like him but James is my best friend. Even if he doesn't love me back, he's still super important to me. If you weren't just flirting with me to hurt him, I might actually give you a chance so I could stop bothering him and move on. But you don't want me, not really. You just wanna hurt him and that isn't something I would ever be okay with. I jut don't know how to make things better. How to make you two happy. Just, tell me what I need to do. How can I make myself happy without ruining everything?"

"Shit, doll. Cool it with the waterworks, alright?" Allen's hand was firm around Madeline's as he quickly wiped a few stray tears from her face, much to James' discomfort, "Look, I didn't do anything with you just to get at him, got it? I do shit i wanna do because I, personally, wanna do those things. If it happens to piss the guy off, I count it as a bonus. But never, babydoll, is it just to screw with him. I wanted to do all that shit in the kitchen with you because you're sexy as hell and I'm a sucker for a gal who's down to learn vegan recipes from me. But I get that you're a bit hung up, he hasn't set the records straight."

There was a heavy silence in the room as James struggled to find proper words. Too many conflicts swarmed his head in a single instant and he needed a moment to breathe as his precious crush began speaking once more in a terribly frustrated tone, "If you really liked me, you'd understand how important he is to me. You two wouldn't need to be friendly, just civil. But it's like I don't matter! You corner me in a restaurant and give me this huge decision but no one's really picking me! It's not fair! I try! It's not like I wanna be the reason for fights but it happens anyways!"

"Keep goin', doll. It's bullshit. It pisses you off. Tell me about it."

The sudden encouragement struck a chord in the girl, prompting her to continue on her tirade. James' couldn't remember a time that he'd seen her so worked up yet vocal and focused. She had a fire, a drive to let loose. He never realized she could harbor such boldness. The two men sat silent as they listened to each new word revealed more and more from the girl's psyche. How frustrating it was to her to be both desired and rejected at once, the internal struggle of wanting to be wanted but unable to enable herself, the way she felt a twinge of shame whenever she thought of her own feelings towards the treatment of her. She only wanted to be cared for in the same way she cared for others but now, when that ideal seemed so close, it was actively being withheld from her. Over the course of a few minutes, the boys had a new insight into the crying girl's mind and her struggle.

"Mads, I-"

"That's all normal, doll." Allen's voice had a hint of pride rather than any of the hurt Madeline feared, "It's not a bad thing to like what you like. It's not wrong to want what you want. 'Kay, babe? But, you gotta keep venting, keep speaking for yourself. If you don't, you're never gonna get what ya want. So, go for it. Tell me what you want. Everything you want, regardless of possibility. Worry about that shit later."

"I- I want, um-"

"What'd I say about thinking, doll? Just say anything. Now." The subtle demanding tone yet safe, protective look in the american's eyes lit a fuse in the girl she couldn't identify.

"I want both. I can't choose yet."

"Mads?"

"She wasn't finished. Doll, tell us everything."

"I, um, I want more of, um, the rough."

"Kink, doll. You wanna explore that. And?"

"I want you two to get along." 


	10. Negotiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that her cards are all on the table, how with this game play out?

"Fuck, you got some freaky-ass bullshit at your place."

"Florida's not THAT bad. You didn't answer the question."

"You ever think that maybe you aren't entitled to literally everything, dipshit?"

"That didn't sound very friendly." Allen held a shit-eating grin on his lips as he motioned towards Madeline's sleeping form in the tall canadian's lap.

"She never said i had to be friendly, just not actively hostile. Not that it really matters, she's not awake to protect you."

"And who's fault is that? Last i remember, I wasn't the one making her cry her eyes out."

"Fuck off. She was just crying, plus you were encouraging it. Just like you were encouraging drinks."

"How am I supposed to know she's a lightweight? Besides, she said it was making her feel better. Wait, fuck, you're distracting again."

"Probably because it's a dumb-as-fuck question. I didn't want you, papa, or even mom near her. What makes you think I'd ever consider sharing?"

"It works for some people, shitdick. Think about it-"

"Why are you so fuckin' hung up on this?"

"Because she doesn't know it's an option."

"Because it isn't one."

"It should be. Dude, she thinks there's something wrong with her."

With an exasperated sigh, the woodsman gently cradled his cargo before standing up from the couch, "She knows where she stands with me now. She's fine now."

"Bullshit." Allen walked behind the tall blond up towards the girl's room. "Face it. She's beginning to figure out what she's into. To some extent, I helped that happen. Do you really think she didn't catch feels for me? Fuck, man, she said herself that she'd date me." 

There was a noticeable tension between the two as they approached her bedroom door, Allen instinctively reaching for the knob to compensate for James' full hands and repeated the help by moving the covers out of the way on the bed. "And I should trust you not to steal or hurt her, why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Bull fucking shit."

after settling the lass in her bed, the boys returned to the kitchen for a bit more alcohol. "I meant everything I said to her. She's hurt, no fuckin' doubt."

"And that's all good now. She doesn't need your 'help'."

"That's her call. My main point is, I'm willing to work with anything. If she wants me to drop dead, I'm fine with that. But, if she'd be willing to try it, I can ride backseat."

"The fuck are you going on about?"

Allen took a swig of beer before answering the question, "If you're her main, I'd be cool with that. If she wants you calling the shots, I'm fine with that. But I think you two need to have a hella real fuckin' conversation before anything goes further. I mean, did you know anything like that was goin' on with her? If i didn't drag her downstairs to talk about all that shit, would you have ever even thought about talking about it? That's what I fuckin' thought."

"I hate when you gotta point."

"Let's face it, we're sexy motherfuckers. who wouldn't want the best'a both worlds?"

James fought the slight grin playing on his lips as he gently shoved his childhood companion, feigning disgust, "Shut up. Maybe you're not the grossest thing imaginable, but I'm the sexy one."

The old comforts found the two for a fleeting moment as they remembered their childhoods. The jokes and smiles they used to share now soured over the years of struggles.

Allen's voice broke the nostalgic silence, "If you dig a girl this much, why not just come out and tell her? Y'all obviously were into each other way before I came to town, so why didn't you make a move?"

"No comment." James' sullen answer brought a confused expression to Allen's features before he clarified, "I don't need to tell you shit."

"C'mon. It's not like she was gonna reject your ass."

"Drop it."

 "You chickenshit?"

"I said, drop it."

"Yeah, I heard ya. Doesn't mean I listened. Either start owning up to your shit or stop standing in people's way."

"I'm not in anyone's wa-"

"Bull. You're going outta your fuckin' way to be a fuckin' cockblock. You're into her, refuse to get with her. She's into you, refuse to let her with you. I'm into her, give me a black eye. She's into me, you fuck with her feelings."

There was a deafening silence between the two as James took a large gulp of ale, avoiding the uncomfortable truth.

"Look, all I'm saying is, she's a big girl. She can stand up for herself and make her own decisions. Just let her. If I make her cry or hurt her in any way, I will gladly let you hold me down while she curbstops my dick. But it's gotta be her choice."

"And if she's happy?" Allen could see the day's fatigue settle through James' body. He was finally beginning to lose his cold distance. "If she's happier with you and ditches me? If I'm not good enough?"

"You're such a dumbass. She literally cries when I'm even slightly fuckin' with you. Fuckin' rants and raves and cries until I pinky swear to be nicer. I really think she loves you. Like, cheesy over-the-moon shit. Just fuckin' trust her. You've known her long enough."

"Like I knew those other girls..."

"No, dipshit, not like that. Jesus fuck, dude, why are you so fucking dense? I'm honestly convinced there's more pot in your head than fuckin' brains. Fuck it. She's gonna have the option, with or without you. And she will make her own goddamn decisions whether you like it or not. Up to you if you wanna be with her or just keep being a chickenshit dickhead."

Allen wasn't stupid enough to think his childhood companion would let him stay after such a statement and immediately stood to leave, removing the need for James to order him to. The tanned american found himself back in his car, glancing at his phone with a strange new feeling in his stomach. Halfway between excitement, anger, and anxiety. He couldn't help but think of what it could be like to share someone; or what it would feel like being rejected for such an idea.


End file.
